Editorial: National playing risky game

Do you get the feeling that at some point in the future the present National Government may look back at where it all went wrong and realise it started with its policy on class sizes?

Those who have being watching governments in this country longer than I have, say there always comes a point midway during an incumbent government's second term when it starts to lose the plot a bit. It is that point when the honeymoon is over and policies that previously would have barely caused a ripple are suddenly being criticised and scrutinised.

John Key is probably one of the most popular and populist prime ministers this country has seen in a long time. One of his strengths is that he has always been very good at sensing the mood of the nation and responding accordingly. However, lately he seems to be having to work a little harder at getting his point across and the Government's popularity has waned. This is reflected in a One News Colmar Brunton poll earlier this week which had National's support slipping below 50 per cent for the first time in two years. The support is still very high, but the drop is indicative that some of National's policies are rubbing people the wrong way. Mr Key does not seem to be worried about this.

"My view is the Government has been facing some quite substantial issues in the last six or seven months ... that's because we're tackling the really big issues. That's always going to be controversial.

"My own view is New Zealand is going in the right direction. We've got the answers to those big challenges but there will always be a degree of controversy about that," Mr Key said

Well, he certainly seems to have a fight on his hands this time. It is quite astounding to see virtually the entire education sector united in opposition to the Government's policy on class sizes. Basically, the policy is that the teacher-student ratio will be increased from one teacher to 23 students to one teacher per 27.5 students.

It was interesting to hear Education Minister Hekia Parata on Radio New Zealand's Morning Report yesterday saying the decision was made after National was re-elected for a second term last year. Labour has argued National would not have been re-elected had the class sizes policy been known to the electorate prior to the election.

They seem to have a point because there is real anger out there. Recently I met with a group of local principals who were quite irritated by the decision and the manner in which it had been thrust upon them. The Government had already angered some in education by ramming through their policy on National Standards without much debate and now the same is happening again.

There is nothing that angers teachers more than the Government treating them like school children.

I think we all understand that something needs to be done about the country's debt and one can only - in very broad terms - applaud the Government for trying to do something about getting us back into surplus. But there are some things that should not be tampered with and the quality of our children's education is one of them.

This issue still has a long way to go before it is resolved.